Taking a Religious Studies Class at a Secular School

I am always thankful for what I learn in my courses as a Penn undergraduate, both inside and outside of my nursing major. This past semester, I seized the opportunity to take a religious studies class for the first time in college and I feel that my experience is worthy of sharing. It certainly brought me out of my comfort zone but was worthwhile and was something I would absolutely do again.

While attending a Catholic high school, I took my religious studies classes every semester for granted since they were required five out of every eight days. Practically every class that fulfilled the religious studies requirement involved minimal work compared to the other challenging courses that I took. These were the classes that I would look forward to going to, as I found them fun, relaxing, and engaging. Nearly every student was destined to earn an A or, more commonly, an A+ because the information was taught and tested simply. Our course topics ranged from Jesus, to world religions, to death and dying. I have vivid memories of these classes because the information was so easy to retain. I remember embracing the moments I spent lying on the chapel floor during guided meditations in Prayer class and my fascination upon designing and coloring a Buddhist Mandala.

Despite having taken these courses so consistently during high school, it never dawned on me that, throughout these past four years and a wide assortment of college courses, I hadn’t taken a single religious studies course in my curriculum. My schedule was always dominated by Nursing courses for my major and sociology courses for my minor with little room for electives. I knew of the Religious Studies Department at Penn, but I had always thought that I would never have time to take courses in that department. Moreover, I suppose I figured that there was not much more left to learn; after all, four years of a Catholic high school education had imbued a sense of religious mastery, both inside and outside the classroom. I did not feel that taking this type of class was necessary in my curriculum at a secular school. I have been an active member of the Penn Catholic Newman community and St. Agatha St. James Church, but I knew the experiences I had in those communities did not replace the courses I learned so much from in high school. Despite having taking advantage of these opportunities to learn more about Christianity, I realized how much I missed taking religious studies classes.

While looking for course to take to fulfill my history sector, I realized that a Religious Studies course would satisfy this requirement. I came across a class called “The Sermon on the Mount.” At first, I was interested because it did not conflict with any other classes in my schedule. I then realized that that, much to my discontent as a Catholic high school graduate and cradle Catholic, that I did not know for sure what the Sermon on the Mount was. I was certain that I it was something I had heard of and probably learned about, but I could not remember. After reading the syllabus and researching the course ratings, I realized that the course seemed manageable.

I did not set any expectations for the class because my knowledge about the topic was so limited. I was surprised to see that there were only five students, including myself! I wondered what type of religious backgrounds the other students had come from. I asked myself, “Are they Catholic like me? Are they not Christian at all? Are they a different denomination of Christianity that I don’t know much about?” I was no longer in my comfortable Catholic school environment, where I would already know the answers to all of these questions.

In our first class, our professor emphasized that the course would focus more on reading and analyzing scholars’ interpretations of the Sermon rather than our own views on the subject. Of course, we could include our own experiences to enhance discussion, but that was not why we were there--we were there to dig as deeply as possible on this single, seminal story in Christian theology. When I realized this, I was disappointed at first because I was hoping that my knowledge about Christianity would come to good use. Little did I know that by becoming familiar with primary sources regarding the Sermon, I would gain a much stronger appreciation for the foundational teachings of my faith.

Once we delved into the material, I soon learned of the importance of the topic of the class itself and how an entire course could be dedicated to a couple of chapters in the Bible. The Sermon on the Mount is included in Chapters 5–7 of the Gospel of Matthew and contains many of Jesus’s most important teachings, including the Beatitudes and Lord’s Prayer. It has been analyzed by some of the most prominent religious scholars such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine of Hippo, and Martin Luther. It is so famous not only because these teachings are foundational to Christianity, but also because they often appear ambiguous and challenging to follow. The original text itself is brimming with so much meaning, but I never realized how crucial theologians’ insights of the text were in order to reveal the seemingly infinite ways in which it can be interpreted.

One of my favorite aspects of the class was the great flexibility in regard to what we learned about. Our professor was so knowledgeable and resourceful and encouraged us to pursue subjects we were most interested in. It was wonderful to choose our own topics when we presented on a Greek word to study, a pericope of the Sermon, and our final paper because we could learn about what we were most interested in. Applying our own insights about the Sermon helped us to understand the text in a modern way. Because of the seminar style, there was always an opportunity to learn from fellow classmates as we had class discussions about our topics of interest. I chose to write my final paper on using St. Augustine’s philosophical theories of interpretation to further understand how Clarence Jordan, a modern theologian, interpreted the “God’s Answering of Prayer” pericope of the Sermon to reveal a deeper meaning based on love and truth.

Discussions in this class inspired me to finally attend the Collegium Institute seminars I have always wanted to try. The Collegium Institute provides students with opportunities to enhance their intellectual knowledge by incorporating Catholic philosophies through discussion and reflection. Because I had become comfortable discussing interpretations of scripture in my Sermon on the Mount Class (something I had never done in-depth before), I decided to participate in a Collegium seminar on the Trinity. I did not know what to expect of my first session, but immediately felt more comfortable when I realized I already knew nearly all of the people attending through the Penn Catholic Newman Community. I learned so much from other attendees who brought their various degrees of religious knowledge to the table. I was so eager to tell my religion class about this opportunity! I expected that none of them, except for our professor, would be familiar with the Collegium Institute. To my surprise, my professor and most classmates were very familiar with it, and one of my classmates was even involved in their programs.

One of my favorite aspects of my Sermon on the Mount course was the camaraderie that grew among our class. Once in a while, someone would offer to share their snacks with the class. One day our class room was abnormally very cold, so our professor brought out hot water and an enormous tea and coffee assortment. Even after the temperature was fixed, he would continually do this for each class. Occasionally he would even bring us sweets. I was very thankful for these little surprises that I did not expect at all!

I found out towards the end of the semester that the other three students were Christian, like me, but different denominations. I thought it was impressive and wonderful that we did not allow our different backgrounds influence our interactions in the course in a negative way. Once in a while we would draw from our own unique experiences but that never became the focus. I was proud to be the only nursing student in the class. Often, my classmates and professor would be intrigued to hear about what life in the nursing school was like in regard to classes, clinical, and schoolwork- something I am always willing to share.

This class has allowed me to become so familiar with the Sermon that I can now recite parts of it by memory. When a priest gives a homily on a topic related to the Sermon, I am immediately more intrigued than I used to be before I took this course. I realized how ambiguous Jesus’s teachings may appear, but how valuable they can be when one reads them and creates a meaning relating to their own life. I also developed a stronger sense of confidence as I learned to always question what I read, because it may provide an opportunity for further learning or intellectual discussion. Moreover, I recognized for the first time how important the context of Jesus’ teachings were during the time when they were said. I felt transported back to the very mountainside where he gave those words of everlasting salvation: “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 5–7). Lastly, I gained practice in and became more comfortable with writing long papers with correct formatting and citations, something that I do not gain enough practice with in my nursing courses.

Taking a religion class was something I never imagined I would do in college. It is something I found worthwhile and would certainly do again. I now have a much stronger appreciation for one of the foundational texts of my Christian values and beliefs. I am so proud of my decision to take this class. When I tell members of the Penn Catholic Newman Community about it, they are immediately interested and I am always eager to tell them about my experience. Although I am unsure if I will be able to take more courses like this in the future, I am confident that I will apply what I have gained from this experience throughout my life as I grow in my Catholic faith.